Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1887-08-30
Our Public RuiIdinx.

"a snoe oouy, osAeu Tic gentleman IfOm MAINE
(Mr. Milliken) to consent that the bill might
be amended by inserting the following: "And
| 1t shall be the duty of the Secretary of the
Treasury, after the site for said building shall
have been purchased, to cause a plan and
specifications of said building to be pre-
pared, which said plan and specifications
shall not involve an expenditure in the
erection and completion of said building and
the approaches thereto exceeding that portion
of said Sl50,0oO remaining after the site OF
said building shall have been paid for; and
no plan for said building shall be approved
by the Secretary of the Treasury involving
an expenditure exceeding the sum SO remain
ing after paying for the site of said building -
Mr.. Milliken at once accepted the am nd.
meEt. it was unanimously adopted, and the
bill as amended passed. Under this law the
site was purchased, contracts were made,
after publicly advertising for proposals, for
material to build thu basement and sub base.
ment, and the work completed, ready for
the superstructure.
In strict compliance with the law, in order
that it might be known whether the building
can be built for the money appropriated, the
| supervising architect, under the approval of
the Secretary of the Treasury, on the first
day of July last, invited sealed proposals, to
be received at his Office and opened at 2 P
NJ, on the 18th day of August, for the super
structure Of the post office, etc This notice
contained the usual notice of the right of the
government to reject any bids. Under this
proposal bids were made by various cor
porations and individuals. They were obliged
to go to the expense of coming to Augusta to
| Al e
warding certified check for 81 900 with
their proposal; and on the Is day of August
the bids were opened; they were found to be
as follows: Maine & New Hampshire Granite
Company Of Portland, s74, 100; Purington
G Co, Watervllle, s74,875; Hallowell
Granite Company, S72 997; Mt. Waldo
Granite Company. Mt. Waldo, Me-, S79 900
The provision 10 the proposal, reserving to
the government the right to reject any bid, is
always inserted, in order that the government
may protect itself against a combination, if it
should happen to be made by contractors
combining 10 bid a sum more than the work
should really be worth; but the government,
in common fairness and common honesty,
having advertised for proposals, has 10 moral
right to reject bid, if the bid is in
accordance with the estimate of the cost to be
performed by day labor. 1t is a well known
fact that the basement and sub basement of
this building, while the work has been done
in a thorough manner, has cost the govern
ment more than Sc 900 more than it would
have cost had it been built by contract
1t turns out that on the 10th day of June
last, some of the democrats of Augusta ad.
dressed a letter to the Secretary of the Treas
ury, urging that the superstructure of this
building be built as the basement and SUBJ
basement had been built; that is. the govern
ment contracting for the material and hiring
the labor by the day; and in their letter
assigning the reason why this should be done,
they allege that better material can be Oh
tanned and the cost of the building would be
less, and then add this circumstances here
are SUCH that we are satisfied if the work is
done by contract it will go into the hands OF
parties hostile TO the present administration,
and result in political jobbery, instead of
being kept under the control of men who
desire to promote the best public interests. D
This letter was signed by Mr.. l.. b. Fowler,
Mr.. f. C. Allen and many other democrats.
1t contains in it II proposition which is al
absolute libel upon many prominent men OF
this State, and a proposition which, stripped
of its subterfuges, simply means the building
of this building must be placed in the hands
of democrats. in order that it may be used
for political purposes; proposition that ought
10 cause the ReDtltmeU WIZ slSueu Tue lttttf
to blush, and a proposition which, if carried
out, deprive both Mr. Fowler and Mr.. Allen
of a large share of their patronage; it is a
declaration that a man, in order to receive &
contract although he has to bid in open mar
ket to obtain it, must be democrat; it is q
proposition to the Secretary of the Treasury
virtually asking him to say, II the lowest bid
der happens to be republican, he will not
award it 10 him
These gentlemen must have forgotten tha
the very material which has gone into tbs
basement ami sub basement of this building
was furnished by the Hallowell Granite Com
pauv they being the lowest bidders in ar
open market. Was 1t political jobbery that
awarded it to the Halowell Granite Company
If so, they cast a reflection upon their OWE
administration. Moreover, these gentlemen
ask that the material for the superstructure
shall be furnished by contract, the govern
ment advertising for proposals Suppose the
Halowel Granite Company should be the
lowest bidders in offering to furnish the ma
terial would the Secretary of the Treasury
refuse to award the contract to them? Will i
be political jobbery if he does award it to
them? The Maine & New Hampshire Gran
lite Company of Portland, it will be seen, bic
only 81, 800 more than the Hsllowell Granite
COMPANY We are informed that the stock
holders in the Maine & New Hampshire tran
tie Company are Mr.. Payson Tucker, Mr.
George Wagg, and Mr.. Emery, three gentle
men somewhat known in the councils Of
the democratic party, as reliable and
staunch democrats. Was it political job
berry for these gentlemen to make bid to do
this work. If they had been the lowest bid
ders, does anyone suppose that Mr.. Fowler
aud Mr.. Allen would have dared ask the
Treasury Department to reject their bidi
Mr. Fowler is engaged in retail business IN
this city; how would he like to have the doc
trine applied to his own business that he
seeks to have applied to the Hallowell Gran
lite Company? Mr.. Allen is the employer OF
a large amount of labor; when he is seeking
to obtain contract, what would he think II
any of the stockholders of the Hallo~ell
Granite Company, because he happened to be
a democrat. should charge that If he got the
contract,it would be one of political Jobbery
Certainly no one will pretend but wat Mr.
Allen has exhibited as much psrtissnshlp al
has Governor Bodwell.
But the secret of this whole thing is told
nv the correspondent of the Boston Globe, IN
his letter from Augusta in the Sunday edition
of that paper. in which, after giving the let
ter which we have quoted, says: The Sec
rotary of the Treasury. on the 10Th OF Au
yust. addressed a letter to Mr.. l.. b. Fowler
+. G. Allen and others, informing them tina